Vibratory plow assembly

Abstract

A vibratory plow assembly which eliminates the need for elastic torque cushioning elements. The plow assembly includes a vertically extending support frame and a vertically extending shaker frame having an elongated plow blade attached thereto with an oscillating mechanism supported on the shaker frame for reciprocating the shaker frame and plow blade. The support and shaker frames are interconnected adjacent their upper ends by conventional connecting links. The lower ends of the support and shaker frames are interconnected by a generally planar, horizontally disposed, spring plate member which is fixedly attached to the support frame at one end and is secured to the bottom of the shaker frame at its opposite end. The spring plate member withstands the loading imposed upon it by the shaker frame and plow blade while being flexible to deflect vertically thereby permitting the vibratory motion from the oscillating mechanism to be transmitted to the plow blade. Further, the vibratory movement imparted to the shaker frame by the oscillating mechanism is also transmitted to the spring plate member which results in a reinforcement or prolongation of the vibratory movement imparted to the plow blade.

I claim: 
     
       1. A plow assembly for laying an elongated flexible element such as a cable in the slot cut by the plow in the ground, comprising: a vertically extending support frame adapted to be connected to a vehicle,   a vertically extending generally C-shaped shaker frame having an elongated plow blade attached thereto and an oscillating mechanism supported on said shaker frame for vertically reciprocating said shaker frame and plow blade, said support frame being spaced from and generally parallel to said shaker frame,   means for suspending said generally C-shaped shaker frame from said support frame, said suspending means consisting of links connecting the upper end of said shaker frame to the upper end of said support frame with each link being pivotally attached at one end to said shaker frame and pivotally attached at its opposite end to said support frame, said suspending means further consisting of a generally planar, horizontally disposed, spring plate member which interconnects the lower end of said shaker frame to the lower end of said support frame, and   said spring plate member being fixedly attached at one end to the bottom of said support frame and being secured at its other end to the bottom of said generally C-shaped shaker frame whereby said support frame restrains one end of said spring plate member during vertical vibratory movement of said shaker frame on the opposite end of said plate member such that the vibrational movement imparted to said shaker frame by said oscillating mechanism being transmitted to said spring plate member for reinforcing or prolonging the vibratory movement imparted to said plow blade.   
     
     
       2. The plow assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said spring plate member including recesses in its opposite ends for adjusting the amplitude of the vibratory movement imparted to said spring plate member.